| Title | Monthly Rank | Estimated Sales | Last Estimated Sales | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | 14 | 4 | 118,471 | 139,918 | -15.33% |
| Star Wars | 15 | 5 | 107,855 | 118,471 | -8.96% |
| Obi-Wan and Anakin | 1 | 7 | 102,861 | N/A | N/A |
| Darth Vader | 15 | 9 | 98,405 | 97,457 | +0.97% |
| Kanan | 10 | 46 | 38,106 | 40,938 | -6.92% |
The Vader Down event definitely did not help the long term sales of the main Star Wars title. The title certainly saw a bump in sales during the event, so in that regard, Vader Down worked. But the first issue after Vader Down, Star Wars #15, has lost over 15,000 units compared to the issue prior to the event. (Star Wars #12 sold 123,133 units in November and Star Wars #15 sold 107,855 units in January.) Looking at the previous months, that is a higher loss than the title has been trending. Events force retailers to evaluate actual sales. Many times, this result in even lower sales than normal when the event ends. Without events, I suspect most retailers would order titles month to month mostly on autopilot. So, Vader Down looks to have been a short term gain but a long term loss. We will know for sure next month when we see the numbers for Darth Vader #16.
| Title | Issue | Estimated Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Leia | 1 | 253,655 |
| Lando | 1 | 192,949 |
| Shattered Empire | 1 | 208,884 |
| Chewbacca | 1 | 122,952 |
| Obi-Wan and Anakin | 1 | 102,861 |
The newest mini-series, Obi-Wan and Anakin, debuted in January with 102,861 units sold. This is the lowest selling mini-series #1 yet. With the exception of Shattered Empire, each subsequent mini-series sold less copies than the previous mini-series. I am not yet convinced this is a trend so much as sales being dictated by the headline character(s) in the mini-series. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker received considerable attention when Dark Horse owned the Star Wars license, for obvious reasons. Marvel releasing a mini-series led by these two characters has a been-there-done-that feeling to it.
Kanan #10 shed over 2,800 copies which is another decent drop for the title. This title is due to end with Kanan #12. This titles replacement, the ongoing Poe Dameron series will sell better than some, if not all, the Star Wars titles when it is released in April.
The following table shows the total number of Star Wars units sold per month since January 2015 along with the average number of sales per issue. Note this chart does not include reprints.
| Month/Year | Total Estimated Sales | # Issues | Average Sale per Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2015 | 985,976 | 1 | 985,976 |
| February 2015 | 526,451 | 3 | 175,484 |
| March 2015 | 596,299 | 4 | 149,075 |
| April 2015 | 537,812 | 4 | 134,453 |
| May 2015 | 324,835 | 3 | 108,278 |
| June 2015 | 396,931 | 4 | 99,232 |
| July 2015 | 597,023 | 5 | 119,404 |
| August 2015 | 430,241 | 5 | 86,048 |
| September 2015 | 551,880 | 5 | 110,376 |
| October 2015 | 953,289 | 10 | 95,329 |
| November 2015 | 1,003,954 | 8 | 125,494 |
| December 2015 | 507,545 | 6 | 84,591 |
| January 2016 | 465,698 | 5 | 93,139 |
The average sale per issue would rank 11th on the top 300 chart for the month of January. The Star Wars titles saw an increase in this average over last month.
The real story for the month is with the Star Wars trade paperbacks. I am hoping to add an analysis of trade paperbacks in the near future. The blog, Walking Dead #150, Star Wars trades lead traditionally light January comic sales volume, did a good analysis of the impact of Star Wars trade paperbacks sales last month. Take a look at the Star Wars Sales Estimate Chart and please read the blog posting January 2016 comics sales estimates online: The difference five years makes.
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